Golden Dreams (REWRITE)
by RuptureWolfbane
Summary: AU. REWRITE. Rin, borned by a dowry maid in Hoseki, had been scorned and jeered at her entire life. Things changed when she a man who changed her life forever. But fate always find a way to toy with her. With a life full of twists and turns, will she survive til the end?


**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LEGEND OF MIYUE OR FATE SERIES. **

**Hello everyone, sorry for the long wait on any update on my story. I owe you all some explanation first. I had been severely ill for the past one month, which was why there were no updates. Right now, I am still in poor health. But I have people to help me through, so it's still okay. **

**This rewrite is done after much discussion with my team. Updating the original fic was our initial idea. But after much consideration, we decide to repost the whole thing so whoever that would set their time aside to read this story can get the full story out of it. **

**Anyway, sit back and enjoy.**

**Writers: RuptureWolfbane & MaxLOONG**

**Beta: PANDAROSE & REGINAJF**

**PROLOGUE**

Sitting there on her bed, she directed her gaze outside the window just beside her bed. She watched the sakura petals danced in the spring breeze. Through her eyes, they were nothing more than flecks of pink in the wind. Even as her sight continued to blur, she could still conjure up the image of those flowers she loved with all her heart. It was something so precious she would never be able to forget, just like all the other small but significant things in her life.

She knew she was old. Her son was already the king of a mighty kingdom after all. And she herself had been the regent for almost thirty years before finally leaving the matters of the kingdom in her only child's hands. And he had managed splendidly so far, carrying on the former king's wish to unite all the kingdoms under one single banner.

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. The coolness of spring was bringing in the sleepiness she was trying so hard to fight off. But she surrendered, and laid back down. She had told her servants before she retired to her bed chambers that no one was to disturb her, and no one was allowed in there unless she gave the permission, no matter how important the matter might be.

Not that there would be anyone who would just barge in like that anymore. She thought to herself, not noticing the lone tear that escaped her eye lids.

_When I had him, I should have cherished him more… no, I should've cherished every single one of them more. Now, it's too late to lament over anything…_

_All those people who were in my life… I was so fixated on myself, on Kin, I never truly gave any of them anything…_

Looking back at her life, she realized just how many people she had hurt along the way. How many people she had let down, in order for her to sit on the throne today. All those broken hearts, all those bloodshed in order for the peace and harmony she knew today. She knew it was a price she had to pay in order to get to where she is today.

But at times, she would question herself.

Was it really worth it?

She turned in bed, smiling at the bitter sweet memories that haunted her every day after those dreadful incidents. Another lone tear rolled down her wrinkled cheeks, and she wiped it away with the sleeve of her kimono. She felt so lonely now, even when she stood upon the pinnacle of power.

In her hand, she had everything anyone could ever wish for. Absolute power and reign over the biggest kingdom among the six. Yet, she felt so empty inside. She had never felt so lonely before. Not even when she was at the lowest point of her life. At least she had friends and family back then. People whom she could rely on. People whom she could turn to. People who truly cared and loved her.

Although all that was in the past, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about them. Her memories would resurface at times she never expected, and they would always draw tears to her eyes. And there was no way to stop them. It was so nostalgic, but the people were already long gone, leaving her alone.

Sakura, her younger sister… they were so close when they were young. And still remained close when they grow up. But they started drifting apart when both of them went to Kin. One was married to the king, while the other was the dowry maid. If she had another choice, she knew she wouldn't make the same mistake again. She would never put the both of them through such misery.

'_Sakura, do you know how to fart?' she had asked her younger sister._

'_Fart? Of course I do.' Sakura had tried so hard to prove that she could fart, her face turned red at the attempt._

_She had laughed. 'Look.' she pressed her lips to her arm and blew._

_Then the both of them laughed at the sound._

'_Nee-chan… will you stay with me forever?' Sakura had asked, now in her teens. _

_She had smiled back at her younger sister, and holding her hand in hers. 'Of course. Nothing can ever come between us. Sisters forever.' _

_Sakura had beamed at that, and the both of them had swear to the heavens that they would forever have each other's back._

_She had then followed her sister to Kin when Sakura married the king of Kin. Even before going there, Rin had pulled Sakura aside. _

'_Sakura, being a dowry maid to you means that I must do everything you say to me. But there is one thing that I must refuse at all costs. I will not serve the king, no matter.'_

'_But…' Sakura had tried to say, but she cut her sister off._

'_No… in this life, I only belong to him, and him alone. Even if I can't see him again, I will never be with another man. He was my life, my other half. Without him, I am nothing.'_

_But she had been the one to break the promise. She fell in love with the golden king, and won his heart even before he had won hers. _

'_Please, I beg of you, plead with the king. Surely he will listen to you. Aunt Yumi is the only other relative I have here in Kin besides you. She reminds me of my mother. I can't live without her.'_

'_I'm sorry… Sakura… I know how much she means to you, but this is the one thing I cannot tolerate. It wasn't just me she was after. She was after the child in me. A child of the king…"_

'_Are you going to harm our sibling relation just because you won't do something that is well -within your power?'_

'_Sakura…' she had been at a lost for words. _

'_Fine.' Sakura had said, and left the room. She knew that their relationship would never be the same again after that night. _

Her memories then shifted to a man. Her first crush. His orange red hair, his dazzling smile. She remembered that in those years when she had to keep watch in the Imperial Cemetery, he was her constant light. He was the only one who was always there with her.

_She was at the river, throwing rocks into the river, watching them bounce on the water surface when she noticed his presence. She turned to see him standing a few feet away, his crooked smile as dazzling as always. _

'_The hell are you looking at?'_

'_Rin is beautiful,' he had replied, making her blush. _

'_Stupid ass is trying to act like a smartass again?'_

_He laughed, which was music to her ears. She blushed a deeper shade of red, and threw a rock half-heartedly at him. He dodged, and grinned. _

'_Why do you use the word ass so much?" he had asked jokingly._

'_Come on, dumbass, help me get this back to the house.' she said, not answering him._

_The time shifted to when they were older. They were standing on a cliff, facing two men with swords. He tried to cover her behind his back._

'_Shirou… I'll fight alongside you.'_

'_No! I will not allow it. You are my life, my everything.'_

'_You are my life too, if you die, I will shatter as well.' _

_But fate toyed with them. He fell off the cliff, and she felt everything inside her fall into shambles. She thought that was the end, but it wasn't. He returned to her after almost one year, but his return only break her heart even further. _

_Because by that time, she had given her heart to the man who had given her the chance to prove that women can be as successful as men in various fields. And by the time he came back to her life, she had already bore the child of the king. _

_A king, though cold and expressionless at most times, had shown her warmth and love like no other. _

_It was another peaceful night when she had spent the time with the king in the royal studies. He had just showed her how differently the word 'horse' was written in the different kingdoms. _

'_Look, just one word, and every kingdom has their own way of writing it.' he said. 'It's easy to conquer the lands, but to conquer the hearts of people, it is hampered by writing, currency and measurements. One word, difficult.'_

'_When Hoseki first conquered the small kingdoms, administration was difficult as well. But with passing time, they began to get used to it. Because no matter what, they are people under one banner, one monarch.'_

'_This, is my ambition. Will you stay by my side as I strive towards this goal?'_

_She had nodded. _

_It was always night when they had the chance to be by themselves. The light from the oil lamps illuminated the dark room. The king stretched a bit._

'_Let's not talk about things of the palace today.'_

'_Then, what are we going to talk about?'_

'_Will you tell me about the damn half-breed who had stolen your heart.'_

_Her heart fluttered. She knew he meant no harm when he called her beloved half-breed. It was his way of talking, and she had grown accustomed to it. But, mentioning him brought another wave of sadness over her._

'_It's just stories between children…'_

'_Humour me.' he had replied, crimson eyes carrying mischief._

_Years passed, and they were content with each other. But he was the one who had to leave first. As he laid on his sickbed, she sat beside him, holding his hand, crying her heart out. He gazed at her with fondness. _

'_I have no idea that in these years, have I ever gotten real love from you…'_

'_You treat me like a father, a brother. My heart, my everything, is with you.'_

_A tear slid down his pale cheek. 'In the end, I'm just a father, a brother?'_

'_No!' she wailed. 'You are my husand!'_

'_It's better to just call me uncle… I won't blame you…'_

_She had broken down there and then. She was lost. She wanted to know the answer herself. Whether she had truly loved the king in the years that they had spent together. But, to her, he was more of a father and brother. _

_The image of the king faded, replaced by the face of the man with a dazzling smile. _

_She had hated him at first. When she woke up in their camp, she tried so hard to kill him. To avenge her loved one. _

_She had pulled out a sword and slashed the weapon madly at him. _

'_I will kill you! I will kill you! I will kill you!'_

'_Princess Tsuki!' he had always called her that, even after being a part of the king's harem. To him, she was always just a princess, and he would always wait for her. _

_She had been drugged, just to force her to give them the will of the king. But she had resisted. Not wanting to give up, not wanting to lose hope, she had lay there with pain wracking her body. The pain had worsened to the point where she could no longer move, just laying there gasping for breath and waiting for the end. _

_The door opened with a slam, and there he was. He rushed over to her, and pulled her into his strong arms. _

"_Princess Tsuki…" he murmured. 'Princess Tsuki!'_

_She opened her eyes, and took in a mouthful of air to fill her burning lungs. 'Sa… save me…'_

'_Don't worry. I'm here.' he told her, his voice reassuring. _

_It was the day he charged into the palace. The day when he would die. But he didn't seem to care. _

'_Rin!' he roared in rage. 'Come and take my life!'_

_He had cut his way through the soldiers stationed in the court, cutting one man down after the other. _

'_STOP!' she had yelled. 'ALL OF YOU! STOP THIS INSTANT!' _

_But they never listened to her. An arrow in his chest, a slit across his throat. That was the end. _

Then darkness.

After all those horrible memories, she welcomed the darkness. The pain of the memories were too much for her to bear. They reminded her of how much she used to have in the youth, and how much she had lost in order to stand at the position she was today.

It hurt.

The truth hurt, more than anything else.

But she couldn't cry. Not anymore. She had to be strong. For her subjects. For her son who still depended on her.

She held back the tears. Taking in deep breaths, she tried to calm herself down. It took some time, but she was able to push the memories away.

A sudden shift in the air around her alerted her of someone's presence.

"Who is it?" she asked, opening her eyes a little, but there was nothing amiss in her room.

Footsteps on a wooden floor echoed through the space, and she opened her eyes further. This time, she saw a person walking slowly towards her, a smile on his lips. His glorious golden hair, his crimson eyes, dressed in his golden coloured kimono. He was still the same as she could remember. He came closer, until his shadow was over her.

She was shocked beyond words, but quickly got up from her lying position, supporting her upper body with her elbows.

"My king…" she murmured. He didn't reply. She sat up, reaching out a hand, but still he didn't do anything, or even utter a word. "My king…" she called again, lowering her arm.

"Lady Tohsaka…" he finally said, his smile dimming a little. "What's all this about? You look so much older than I am."

"My king, you are in your primes," she replied, and ran a hand over her face. "But for me, I've grown old without realizing it."

He chuckled, and came closer. "And for all this time, I thought only mongrels would look older than me. Who've thought that you'd be too?"

"You're the king…" she replied, tears brimming in her sapphire blue eyes. "Who are we to dare to look younger than you?"

He laughed, and she realized just how much she had missed that laughter, that voice, and the man who was now standing before her, in all his glory. "Dear me, my lady," he said to her, and sat down on the bed with her. "I would never hope that to happen to the woman I love the most."

He reached out to caress her cheek, and she turned into his touch. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and the golden king wiped them away tenderly.

"Don't cry, or you'll be like all those mongrels out there," he said to her, and she smiled weakly. "I know you must've suffered a lot. Look at how white your hair is."

"Am I the same as those half-breeds now?" she queried, her voice quavering.

But his reply surprised her. "Would I ever do that to you?" he replied, laughing. He pulled her into his strong arms, embracing her in a tight hug.

She remained silent, and savour the moment. She had missed him so much, despite how he had always spoke, despite how he had always acted. But she had loved him all the same. He was the man who had changed so much of her life, of her personality, of her future. Right now, she just wanted to be near to him, and feel him once more.

"My king, for all these years, where have you been? Why did you leave me alone for such a long time?" she asked, sobbing into his chest. One hand touched his face, and lingered there.

"I have always been waiting for you over there…" he replied.

"Where? Where is that place?" she raised her head to look at his face.

He smiled a little, looking down into those sapphire orbs. "You know where that place is. It's the place."

"Where?" she asked again.

This time, the golden king did not reply. He stood up, and stepped away, smiling at her. He looked at her one more time, and began to walk out of the room.

"My king, my king…" she called out, trying to call him back. But he didn't even look back.

~FSN~MY~FSN~MY~

"Queen Dowager, Queen Dowager, please wake up," her servant, Hoi called her, and shook her gently.

"Queen Dowager, what's wrong?" Yui asked, worried.

"My king, my king," Queen Dowager called out, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at both of her maid servants, and closed her eyes. "Where's the king?" she murmured.

Hoi and Yui looked at each other, not sure what to say.

"The king is busy at the Imperial Court," Hoi answered. "If you wish to see the king, I shall go and invite the king for you."

"No need…" she replied. "I saw him in my dreams just now…" she let out a rasped breath. "He was still the same as ever…"

Yui smiled a little. "No wonder. You've just had a nice dream."

She didn't reply to that. "Help me up."

The two of them scooted forward and help the Queen Dowager up, placing two big pillows behind her back. She leaned back, and closed her eyes, trying to recall her dream. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and another tear slid down her cheek.

She opened her eyes, and looked at her two maid servants. They had white hair as well, just like her. There was no surprise there. The two of them had been with her ever since she had first set foot into the Golden Palace of Kin.

"Hoi, Yui," she said, looking at them in the eyes. "You've followed me for decades. Tell me, if I leave before the both of you one day. Or, you two leave ahead of me, will me meet again at the other side?"

The two servants looked at each other and smiled. "Of course," they replied as one. "The both of us has planned to serve you once more on the other side."

"Then perhaps, I can finally return to Hoseki then…" she said softly.

Yui smiled, and held the queen dowager's hand. "The kingdom where your story began."

She nodded. "Indeed… it all started with the minister's words about a Supreme Star."

~FSN~MY~FSN~MY~

Today, I dress myself in colourful garments

And it seems like I'm seeing a mass of flowers

I married into this wealthy country

But I still reminisce about my childhood

I wish to be carefree, just like when I was just a child

In my dreams, I dreamt about being married to you

I want you to be the one to have me in this world

And never allow you to leave me in this life

The wind is blowing in the west, in the face of a lonely man

Who is the one measuring the wound in my heart

Which makes my happy emotions and moments get pushed out from my head

Loneliness lingers in the middle of the night

~To be continued~

~FSN~MY~FSN~MY~

And there we have it. My team and I need to make something clear first. The four of us are all university students in our second and third year. So we are relatively busy. It might take time for updates to be done, as PANDAROSE is a medic student and she's starting her posting this semester. REGINAJF is in communication studies, also starting her postings, and the two writers are in biotech, which has extensive lab sessions this sem.

Updates might be slow, but we will try to make sure at least two chapters will be uploaded each month. See you guys!


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